Updates from Rebecca

A Crazy Week in February

2009-03-07T22:32:00.001-08:00

A fact not well known about me up until recently is that I was born without two adult teeth. Fortunately, the baby teeth in their place had held up pretty well, until one decided that 16 years of overtime was enough. On February 12, I went in for dental surgery to have the baby tooth extracted and a metal implant put in. I will have a gap in my mouth until April 3, at which point I get the abutment, followed soon after by a crown. At some point in the near future I will get to repeat the whole process for the other baby tooth.

To help me with the surgery (which required a pre-op valium!), my mom arrived the evening of February 11. Not much fun to be had on surgery day, but we packed it in for the rest of her stay. On Friday the 13th, we went to Half Moon Bay: Moss Beach Distillery, walking on the beach, shopping, see downtown, even some wine tasting. The following day, we went to the Sunnyvale Farmers Market, then into the Santa Cruz Mountains to Big Basin State Park. We did the short hike and Mom got to see some redwoods. See picture below - can you find her?! On Sunday, I took her to church, then we visited with Susan and her baby Lucas. That evening we went to dinner at Santana Row. Mom left on Monday. Way too fast of a trip!

As I sit here writing this little post, I am struck by how much I totally stink at keeping up with the blog. It is March and I am just now writing about what occurred in mid-February! Some of my friends are such wonderful bloggers and I envy their ability to consistently express themselves. For me, I think it is almost too much with everything else I have going on. I have decided that, while I won't dismantle the blog, I am not going to keep it on the to-do list anymore. Perhaps in the future I will use this more regularly again. For now, to keep up with me through the internet, please go to Facebook!

San Antonio

2009-03-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

In early February (already a month ago!), I went to San Antonio for a work conference. I didn't get much down time, nonetheless I did get to explore the Riverwalk and see the Alamo. I ended the stay with lunch and a margarita at a Mexican restaurant. Definitely ready to go back and see more!

The Alamo

The Riverwalk

Half Moon Bay

2009-01-22T20:42:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday I finally made it to Half Moon Bay, which is only about an hour or so away. The pictures do a better job of speaking to the beauty of this area than I ever could (thanks to the photographer). I found the surrounding area quite charming - the farmstands and the quaint downtown in particular. HMB is known for its Pumpkin Festival each fall but I was happy to visit when it was not peak tourist season.

Important note: it was January 17 and I was at the beach in short sleeves experiencing 70 degree weather. Yes, California has its perks.

This Year

2009-01-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is off to a great start this January. Just a quick note about the blog this year: since I am now putting down roots here in the Bay, there will most likely be fewer posts here from now on. I will continue to update you on major highlights. Best wishes for a fabulous 2009!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T16:41:00.001-08:00

The original plan for Christmas vacation was to leave SFO on a red-eye the evening of Friday, December 19, spend the weekend in Boston seeing friends, go to work meetings on Monday the 22nd, and then head up to Maine. The best laid plans... Due to the major snowstorm that hit New England on the 19th, my flight was not just delayed but completely canceled. The soonest American Airlines claimed they could get me a new flight was Monday. Meaning no weekend in Boston. I was so disappointed but tried to make the most of my unexpected weekend in the Bay, including lots of rest, seeing the Christmas pageant at church, and having lunch with friends.

Fortunately my flights on Monday were both on time: the first from San Jose to Chicago, with Steve Young on board in first class (!); the second from Chicago to Boston, where my dad picked me up. On Tuesday I caught up on some work, wrapped the gifts I had mailed to Maine in early December, and then headed back down to Boston with my mom to pick up my sister from the airport. On Wednesday, Christmas Eve, we three ladies went to Freeport for lunch and shopping at LL Bean, stopped to see my grandfather, and baked some cookies. A very relaxing Christmas Eve!

Christmas itself was a bit different than normal since my dad had to work at the hospital. We went to my grandfather's house fairly early in the day to celebrate with him, both my aunts, my uncle, and a family friend. We had a wonderful dinner and headed home around 5:30. Once my dad arrived home later that evening we opened gifts among the four of us. In short, a very family-centered, calm day in Maine, with cooperative weather.

(Ron, Barbara, Rachel, Sarah, Mom, me, and Grandpa - who turns 90 in February!!)

I had started to feel a bit under the weather yesterday - sore throat, fever - and today I'm completely out of it. I have barely moved from the couch, taken lots of naps, and still don't feel much better. The sinuses are pounding, my lymph nodes are swollen, the throat is on fire, etc. Maybe my pace in December caught up with me, maybe I'm just finally relaxing in my first visit home since April, maybe my immune system can't keep pace with the east coast now. At any rate, I'm hoping that by completely giving into this virus that I'll get over it soon so that I can enjoy my remaining week in New England!

Los Angeles

2008-12-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

The weekend of December 12-14 I went down to L.A. with my friend Lisa from church. The primary purpose of the trip was to see "Wicked" Saturday night (which will soon be closing in L.A. and coming to San Francisco), but as Lisa is an L.A.-area native, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to get to know the region better. Quite frankly, I have never had a favorable impression of L.A., based solely off a couple of work trips where I flew in through Burbank and general stereotypes. I wanted to see some of the L.A. highlights and form an educated opinion.

The weekend started at 3am on Friday, when my alarm ungraciously woke me up for the airport. We left from SFO, a little later than planned due to some airplane protocol delays, and arrived in Long Beach in short order. We stayed on the Queen Mary in Long Beach:

Our room was actually a pretty decent size, we had a window, and there is plenty of hot water! I enjoyed staying on the boat and learning its history, although we didn't do any of the official tours.

After we checked in, we headed up to Venice Beach. As we did not visit in peak time, the beach seemed fairly peaceful:

The boardwalk was definitely bustling, however, including with many musicians selling their samples. Lisa bought a couple of CDs and we were on our way again.

Our next stop was at the Getty Museum, which I loved for all its eclectic collections - finally got to see Van Gogh's Irises! - and the view of city was impressive:

Note the defined smog line! We left the Getty a little after 3:30, which wasn't early enough to avoid rush hour traffic on the 405 (note use of "the" - L.A. peeps put a "the" in front of all the highways!). It took us awhile to get back down to Long Beach and the Aquarium of the Pacific. We had about an hour to explore the indoor portion of the aquarium and then ample time to see the outdoor exhibits, including a large shark tank and sting rays. While this aquarium is not as large as that of Monterey, it is still worth a visit.

After the aquarium, we met Lisa's friend Bryan for dinner and then headed back to the hotel. I was asleep by 9:45pm after the early wake up!

On Saturday, we were up fairly early in order to go meet up with Lisa's friend Joyce in Hollywood. Joyce has lived in the area for awhile and proved to be an excellent tour guide. We started the day with breakfast at Grub, an outstanding little restaurant owned by Betty from Season 2 of "Top Chef," right in the middle of where all the studios are located. Our driving tour then commenced, hitting highlights like the Paramount Gates, Sunset Boulevard, the Kodak Theatre, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and, of course, the Hollywood Walk of Fame:

After seeing the heart of Hollywood, we drove closer to the famous sign for the requisite shot. Here I am with Lisa:

We then drove around the upscale portion of town, including Beverly Hills, which truly is another world, and Rodeo Drive:

Needless to say, I didn't make any purchases on Rodeo Drive! After exploring that area, we drove onto the Farmers Market in L.A., which was fun, but not nearly as authentic as the ones I'm used to in Northern California. We had lunch there, then drove up to Mulholland Drive, which has some spectacular views of both L.A. and Burbank, including the NBC Universal building. We finally headed back to Joyce's house, arriving around 5:00 to get ready for the show.

We had dinner at Lucy's El Adobe Cafe, a Mexican restaurant on Melrose Avenue famous for being the favorite restaurant of former governor Jerry Brown. We then headed to the Pantages Theatre to see "Wicked." It was outstanding - great singers and music, an interesting story line that integrated well with "The Wizard of Oz," and fantastic scenery. Definitely see it if you get the chance!

Lisa and I got back to the hotel around 12:45am, which afforded us just 3 hours of sleep before the alarm for the Sunday morning flight. All was on schedule that morning, thank goodness since Lisa had to make it back to church for the annual Christmas concert. Her husband picked us up from the Oakland airport and we were on our way.

After taking in many of the L.A. highlights, I can very easily say that I'm happy I live in the Bay Area. L.A. is not for me, which pains me to say after the hospitality of my hosts. There's just something about it that turns me off. Maybe it's all the concrete. Maybe it's all the showiness and focus on image. Maybe it's the huge, visible disparity between America's anointed royalty and rich in Hollywood / Beverly Hills / Orange County and the utter destitution of the "bad" areas. For sure L.A. has its charms, good museums, and some great restaurants, but don't look for me to be moving south any time soon.

(Note: all photos from the L.A. trip can be found on Facebook)

BSC Year-End Celebration

2008-12-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our department's accomplishments during 2008, we all gathered at City Beach in Fremont the afternoon of Thursday, December11. The event started with a review of 2008 highlights, followed by lunch, and then some team-building exercises. I had to depart early to retrieve (at last!) my car, but not before I was able to gather with Tiffany and Fran for a photo:

Susan's Baby Shower

2008-11-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today was the baby shower for my friend Susan, who is due in January. Her sister, Carrie, did all the organizing and we gathered at the English Rose, a tea house in San Carlos. I can't believe that I hadn't been to a high tea since the summer of 2007 in Boston! As with all high teas, there were plenty of yummy treats and we had a fun time sharing childhood memories. I definitely need to go to high tea more regularly. Any recommendations for other locales in the Bay Area?

Conor and Levi - 5 month update

2008-11-29T11:01:00.000-08:00

Fluffy and Fido may not be best friends yet, and they still chase each other, but there is a more friendly, playful tone to their relationship. I took the picture below yesterday - perhaps they were in the holiday spirit and decided to nap together, perhaps they were just still full from Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T10:26:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is a hard day not to be at home. Last year was the first time I had ever not been with my family for the holiday and this year I again stayed in California. It's just too much to make the trip for such a short break, particularly when I head to Maine in three weeks for Christmas. Nonetheless, I'm always amazed at the outpouring of hospitality and kindness around Thanksgiving and I had many invitations to dinner. My plan for the day was to go to three dinners - after a good swim at the gym! I had a couple of delays getting to my first dinner: the gym was insanely busy and it took awhile just to get a shower, then once I was on the road, 680 was absolutely jammed. I finally arrived at my first destination a little after 1:00 (even though I should have been there a good 30 minutes earlier!). My first hosts were Geoff (my co-worker) and his wife Jenn at their home in Livermore, and two of their friends were also there. They had quite the spread - my favorites being the Sicilian stuffing and sweet potato casserole - but I managed to eat very lightly by Thanksgiving standards. See the beautiful table here:

I need to make a trip to their local winery, Concannon, as they served a lovely Rose wine from there.

I left Livermore about 4:00 and headed to the second destination: Brentwood, the home of a woman I know from the gym, Celia, her husband, Hector, and their two children, Hector and Arturo. I had never been this far east in the Bay Area and it's like another world! Rolling hills (my first experience with Vasco Road), cows, and lots of country. Absolutely lovely. It was wonderful to spend a part of the holiday with Celia and her family. Her husband made an amazing smoked turkey, which he had been working on for two days! I also had my first dessert of the day, perhaps the best apple pie I have ever eaten. Ever. Another must-have recipe. We had great conversation and I didn't end up leaving until 8:00.

Originally I had been planning to finish the day with McKenzie's family, who had been my Thanksgiving hosts last year. But I underestimated how far away Brentwood actually is from the San Jose area. I felt terrible that I couldn't stick to my initial plan but I sent my regrets and made it home around 9:30.

Despite missing my last destination, it was a wonderful, balanced Thanksgiving. I feel very blessed that so many people were willing to open up their homes to me and I'm grateful for all the experiences I had on the holiday. Thanks to everyone for making me feel at home.

Latest Goings-On

2008-11-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Of late I have been feeling that I have my feet back under me, that I am finally grounded in my life out here. This is not to say that I haven't been keeping busy, but I almost forget to post anything because things feel less new. There have, however, been some recent highlights:

- Swimming: I fell out of the habit of swimming while in Boston since my gym did not have a pool. And for some reason even though my gym out here has a pool, I did not resume swimming until late summer. I am now back in the pool! I swim Tuesday and Thursday mornings, from about 6-7 am. Two interesting things: (1) the pool is outdoors and I can swim in it year-round, something one would never find in New England; (2) my fellow swimmers are very friendly and chatty, even that early in the morning. I'm so glad about my return to doing laps.

- Housewarming Party in Livermore: last Friday night I went to my co-worker Geoff's housewarming party out in Livermore (East Bay). Geoff and Jenn have a beautiful home and I enjoyed getting out to the suburbs and seeing a bit of nature.

- Valencia: this past Tuesday I flew down to Southern California for work. It's a very quick flight from San Jose to Burbank, then about a 30-minute drive up to Valencia. There was a group dinner at George's Bistro Tuesday night, then a supplier meeting on Wednesday, along with a quick drive over to the new Boston Scientific facility in Valencia. I'm still not a SoCal fan - it seems like a concrete jungle to me - but Valencia isn't too bad. The most disturbing thing was smelling smoke in the air from the recent fires and seeing all the charred hills. California desperately needs rain.

- Zibibbo: tonight I had a great dinner at Zibibbo in Palo Alto with my friend Susan. They have a wonderful Mediterranean menu, perfectly flavored, and a nice atmosphere. I also had my first ever glass of a pinot noir rose wine - who knew this existed?

- Happy Hours: while this seems to be a lost art out here, we are starting to have about one a month at work. Yesterday we went to City Beach (where I went on my birthday) and I'll be planning another one after the holidays. I'm also going to a non-work happy hour with a couple of friends Monday night in Mountain View - amazing!

Stacy and Mike's Visit

2008-11-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night, Stacy and Mike arrived in the Bay Area from Pittsburgh. They had a packed itinerary in order to canvas the region during their week here! Fortunately I could join them for a day in San Francisco on Sunday. We did some of my favorite touristy things in the city, like riding the cable cars, shopping in Union Square, and eating ice cream at Ghiradelli Square. We also took our first trip out to Alcatraz. Very interesting indeed and we were lucky that the Agave Trail was open as it's the time of the year where the birds aren't there. Their presence could still be smelled though!

Alcatraz from the Ferry

In a Jail Cell

Looking Back at San Francisco from Alcatraz

With Stacy on the Agave Trail

Stacy and Mike on the Ferry - Golden Gate Bridge just barely visible!

Isolation Chamber at Alcatraz

As you can see in the photos, it was an overcast day on Sunday but the rain held off for the most part, a welcome change from my Saturday up in Napa. The rain returned on Monday, hampering Stacy and Mike's second day in the city a bit. I worked only a partial day on Monday and had them over for dinner that night. It was a good night to stay in and catch up!

The rest of the week they spent up in wine country and then down in Monterey and Carmel. As I write this, they are on the plane back to Pittsburgh. These visits always go so quickly!

Recent Discoveries

2008-11-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Since I didn't have any major trips in October, I stayed very local in my activities. No shortage of things to try around here! Some of my recent discoveries:

Dio Deka: outstanding Greek food in Los Gatos, had dinner here with a supplier.
Hotel Valencia: following our supplier summit on October 22, we held a reception at the Cielo Terrace at Hotel Valencia in Santana Row. What a beautiful location. I also tried the Vbar here, which has quite the atmosphere. We didn't run into any 49ers or Sharks.
Creola: serves New Orleans-style food, located up the Peninsula in San Carlos. I went here with some friends from church to celebrate my birthday.
Silverado Trail: in my previous two times up to Napa, I had never been to any wineries on the Silverado Trail. Fortunately this situation has now been remedied thanks to the guidance of my new friend Karen. A small group of us went today to the Reynolds Family Winery and the Robinson Family Vineyards. The latter is a true gem: tucked completely out of the way, it is still run solely by the family, by hand, and is not commercial at all. They have some fantastic Cabernet!
Santa Clara University: while I did not pursue doing my MBA full- or part-time this year, I feel fortunate that there are some good continuing education sessions held at SCU. I attended a two-day session earlier in the year; in October I went to a 3-hour seminar featuring author Lisa Haneberg on catalyzing breakthroughs.
La Fiesta: my friend Susan from church introduced me to this Mexican restaurant in Mountain View, home to an outstanding chicken mole dish. Definitely need to go back again!

I'll continue to keep everyone posted on other new finds I make.

Cupcakes

2008-10-12T20:48:00.001-07:00

I think I have now eaten a prize-worthy cupcake: http://www.sibbyscupcakery.com/

Thanks to Victor for introducing these at his "Sex and the City" DVD party. And thank goodness these have to be ordered in advance, saving me from whimsical consumption.

A Year

2008-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have been in a very reflective frame of mind for the past few weeks. Not only did I celebrate my 28th birthday, and any birthday makes one pause and evaluate, but I also marked my one-year anniversary living in California in mid-September. I still have not a single regret that I moved here and I think I've adapted pretty well to the West Coast. Nonetheless, I still do not yet feel as connected here as I do the East Coast. I could go on and on with comparing and contrasting each coast but suffice it to say that while I keep busy and have seen a lot in a year, I do feel times of profound loneliness. So I'm working on trusting, staying grateful for this journey and for the lessons I don't yet fully understand.

What a year indeed.

So You Think You Can Dance?

2008-09-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Last night my favorite summer show / guilty pleasure came to San Jose for its live performance. Although you may have formed an incorrect preconception that this show is geared totally toward teenaged girls, let me tell you that many of my friends watch and there was quite the diverse audience at the HP Pavilion. If you haven't seen the TV program before, definitely start up with Season 5 next May.

I was able to go last night thanks to Victor's quick maneuvering when tickets went on sale. The show was completely sold out. We went with his girlfriend, Josie, as well as his sister and brother-in-law. The show was longer than I expected and mostly all dance, not too much filler. I would have liked to see some of the dancers perform more, and some less, but at least there were no commercials.

To answer the question posed by the show's title, I don't think I would make any claims to being able to dance right now. While the ankle is on the mend, the hip of the same leg is not happy. Perhaps the hip is correcting for the ankle pain. All I know is that I won't be busting a fancy move any time soon.

Italy

2008-09-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I had a work trip this past week to the Lake Como region of Italy. I arrived last Sunday morning, quite groggy, but elated that I could be a tourist for 2.5 days. Milano and Lake Como are great areas to explore. The colors and pace of life on the lake were so refreshing, and the food is amazing, as is the shopping. Check out all my photos at: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8Aasmjhw2buXaQ

The work part of the trip started Wednesday. I was there with five co-workers, each of us concentrating on our functional areas of engagement with the supplier. We had long meeting days Wednesday through Friday, and accomplished a lot. The supplier is a wonderful host and we enjoyed great lunches and dinners out all around the area. Nothing like having the locals show you the good restaurants! I'm definitely exhausted (writing this post during my 4-hour layover in Boston) since most of the working nights I didn't get back until 11:30 or so after dinner, then responded to work email until 1am. My ankle problem also continues to persist, with some severe swelling the past couple of days. Probably time to see a doctor. Nonethless, it was a spectacular trip and I'd go back in a heartbeat, for work or pleasure.

Some of my favorite experiences (you'll note food is a key theme!):

- Fresh buffalo mozzarella
- The view of the lake - I would love to have a vacation home here!
- Falling in love with espresso - who knew I could like coffee?
- Three-hour dinners with the Italians, finished with limoncello
- Gelato
- One of the best dinners of my life at Trattoria del Fagio (I think!) on the lake
- Tasting the best pizza ever at a hideaway in Milano
- Seeing the city of Milano from the Duomo
- Learning a few key words in Italian. I may just start answering the phone with "Pronto."

If you have never been to Lake Como, definitely put it on your list of places to see.

Hobbling

2008-09-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

I have not been on the go as much as desired this Labor Day weekend. On Friday, while carrying too many things between buildings at work, I managed to trip off a curb and turn my ankle. It was one of those slow motion experiences where you know something bad is happening and there is nothing you can do to stop it. BTW, I was not wearing heels, I just happen to be good at tripping, falling, and running into inanimate objects. Anyhow, the ankle is not broken - no snapping sound occurred and I can bear weight on it. I do, however, have a pretty bad sprain and consequently have to ice, elevate, and wrap it a lot. Such a pain, both literally and because I wanted to be up and about for the weekend. I did ignore the orders of Nurse Nancy (my mother) and stayed on my feet for far too long at the Gilroy outlets on Saturday, and I paid the price with a throbbing, swollen appendage that no longer resembled my foot. You can thank me for not taking a picture to share with you. I'm being a good patient now and the ankle does feel better today. Going down stairs is still quite the chore though.

May I continue to mend so that I can be a proper tourist in Italy next week.

Pacific Northwest

2008-08-24T17:14:00.001-07:00

This past Wednesday and Thursday I was in the Pacific Northwest for work. Wednesday began at 3:30 am. [Note to self: 4.5 hours is not enough sleep in preparation for an all-day supplier visit.] Although my manager has a reputation for missing flights, I got us to the airport in time for the 6am flight to the "other Portland" - Portland, Oregon. There were seven us from Boston Scientific visiting this particular supplier and it was a full, worthwhile day. Most everyone had to fly back to California that night, but Ryan, Sonny, and I stayed in Portland to have dinner with the supplier at Jake's. We finally left a little after 9pm...and made the 3-hour drive to Seattle that night. We arrived in Seattle in one piece, despite some horrendous rain, and I think I got to my room around 12:30. And then I took care of my email, finally getting to sleep at 1:45. Yes, I was more or less awake for 22 hours. Have I mentioned that endurance is required for our business trips?

I slept as much as I could Thursday morning, meaning I had two straight days of not going to the gym. We departed for our supplier visit, which took us to a rural area of Washington state. This visit was to a tier two supplier, and marked the most frightening facility I have ever seen. Between the fumes and the lack of safety precautions, I am amazed we all made it out in one piece. When I blew my nose Thursday night, it came out black.

After this visit, we headed to the Seattle airport, and finally ate lunch somewhere around 3:30. We each ordered a giant margarita to celebrate making it through those two marathon days. I finally arrived home around 9pm that night.

Conor was delighted to see me, but kept with his standard "Rebecca is traveling" routine:

1. No matter how much food I leave him, he devours it in one day. For this trip, I had left him three days worth of food. McKenzie said it was gone by Wednesday night.

2. When I get home, I immediately clean his litter box. 30 minutes after that, he "forgets" how to use the litter box and poops on his litter box tray. It never fails. Every trip I go on, this is his way of giving me the finger for having left him alone.

Ah, the glamour of business travel.

End of Summer BBQ

2008-08-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, the 20s/30s group at my church gathered in San Carlos for an end of summer BBQ. As always, the weather was amazing - it hasn't rained here since sometime in February or March! Debby Kramer was our host, along with her two dogs Calvin and Murphy (a golden retriever!). We relaxed in her backyard, ate some great food, and played Ungame, which consisted of a lot of deep questions, some we wanted to answer, some we didn't! We also planned our activities for the fall. I am so grateful that this group has come alive throughout the course of this year. Even though I am nearing the one-year mark of my life in California, I still miss my friends and family back east on a daily basis. Having the 20s/30s group has helped me feel more of a sense of community in a region where this often seems to be lacking.

Olympics

2008-08-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

I don't watch too much TV: "Lost" religiously for 16 weeks a year, "Grey's Anatomy" if I remember, "So You Think You Can Dance" in the summer, and then the occasional random background noise of the Food Network and Bravo reality shows. But for two weeks every two years, I find myself practically glued to the TV. The Olympics are here! While the time difference is a bit annoying for the Beijing games, the varied events and all the athletes' stories enrapture me. Case in point: I was still awake at midnight on Friday watching fencing. Fencing! Saturday included snippets of basketball, volleyball, rowing, and soccer. I watched swimming all afternoon on Sunday while ironing, then had dinner with the gymnasts. I love it all. While I don't foresee much sleep over the next couple of weeks, I don't even care. The Olympics are here!

Rachel's Visit to the Bay

2008-08-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 30, my sister arrived into San Jose for a five-day visit. I think I may need a vacation from my vacation: we were certainly on the go all five days so she could see as much of the Bay Area as possible.

Wednesday: we were both wiped out - Rach from the flight and time difference, me from work. We grabbed a light dinner in Willow Glen followed by frozen yogurt.

Thursday: we took the classic trip to Monterey and Carmel on a classically beautiful Bay Area day. We went to Cannery Row, visited the Aquarium (loved the jellies, otters, and seeing the penguins get fed), then headed down the coast. Rachel put her toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, and was surprised to find it colder than the Maine ocean this time of year! We saw Lover's Point then continued onto 17 Mile Drive. The highlight of this for me was the Lone Cypress - absolutely stunning and symbolic:

After 17 Mile Drive, we continued on Scenic Drive through Carmel, stopping at Carmel River State Park, which none of the tourists seem to know about. It is stunning and uncrowded.

We continued our ride through Carmel, seeing the Mission, then headed back up toward home, with a quick stop at the Gilroy Outlets. Rachel had her first experience with the Gilroy garlic odor!

Friday: San Francisco. You name it, we did it. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge? Check. See the Presidio? Check. Wander around Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39? Check. Eat sourdough bread at Boudin? Check. Ride a cable car? Check. Shop at Union Square? Check. Experience Chinatown? Check. Walk through North Beach, Telegraph Hill, and see the Coit tower? Check. Eat a fabulous dinner? Check.

We finished our day in the city at Perbacco for an Italian dinner with Victor. Our legs were aching from all the walking, but when we finally got home at midnight, Rachel could definitely say that she had experienced San Francisco!

Saturday: Our journey throughout the Bay continued on to Santa Cruz county. Bad traffic on Route 17 thwarted our progress at first. I took 85 to Route 9 in an attempt to circumvent the congestion. While this route led to my first venture through Saratoga and the vineyards of this area, we again encountered massive traffic problems on Route 9. So we circled back to a different part of Route 17 and were finally on our way. The first stop was Henry Cowell State Park to see the Redwoods. Amazing and astonishing. There is no way for pictures to capture the majesty of these massive trees. Look how short Rach and I look compared to one of them!

After our hike through the Redwoods, we continued on to Capitola and Santa Cruz. We had a super-late lunch at the Crow's Nest by the lighthouse in Santa Cruz. Rachel then saw all the requisite Santa Cruz sights: beach volleyball, the amusement park at the Boardwalk, and the surfers. We did a bit of shopping in the downtown area (my favorite part of this city, doesn't seem quite as seedy), then we began the trek back up to Campbell. We had a low-key evening, topped off with gelato from my favorite place in downtown Campbell.

Sunday: Rachel and I actually didn't spend much of this day together. I had a church retreat that I had to attend based on me now chairing a committee at church. This lasted the entire afternoon. While I was gone, Rach went to the farmers' market in Campbell, then took the light rail into San Jose for some museum time. In the evening, once I was back from San Mateo, we went to see "Mamma Mia."

Monday: our last day. We opted to stay local, starting with a walk on the Los Gatos Creek trail, followed by brunch at Stacks. I then introduced Rachel to the local shopping wonders: Santana Row and Valley Fair. She restrained herself more than I did, her lone purchase being from See's Candies. I had an eye appointment in the afternoon, which gave her a chance to see downtown Los Gatos. And then we ran out of time.

Rachel and I are already talking about her coming back for another visit next summer. There's always more to do in this area, plus we didn't even make it to wine country! It was a great semi-vacation for me, even though I didn't fully disconnect from work like I should have, nor was I as lazy as I probably needed to be. Nevertheless, I fully enjoyed our days together and look forward to seeing my family again soon.

July

2008-07-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

Let me once again apologize for the long pause in my updates. The month of July has come and (almost) gone, and I have not yet written about all the goings-on of the past 30 days. Why? Partially to blame is some ongoing work chaos due to frequent build plan changes. More to blame is that my weekends have been fairly packed, not leaving much time for blogging. Anyhow, rather than break the month's events into individual posts, let me summarize the goings-on:

- 4th of July: McKenzie and I were one with our apartment. It was the day of cleaning and sorting. We did manage to make a quick trip down to her parents' house for burgers and firecrackers.

- 4th of July weekend: the Saturday of the long weekend, I headed up into San Francisco with my friend Victor. Fortunately he knows BART like the back of his hand, so I didn't even have to think about the stops. We started the afternoon at the San Francisco SPCA, the Ritz Carlton for animals needing homes. As I had just adopted Conor, I was not in the market for further adoptions, but I was tempted. What a great shelter. They even have TVs for the cats to watch. After that, we grabbed lunch at Cafe de la Presse, a French cafe by the gates to Chinatown. My benchmark for any French restaurant is the Nicoise salad; the one at this place was average. Nonetheless, I was filled up for the rest of the afternoon, which commenced at the Museum of Modern Art. The highlighted exhibit was Frida Kahlo, but we also saw the fixed exhibit and a special exhibit with the photography of Lee Miller. After all this art, we caught a movie, "Hancock." Yes, I think we packed enough into this day, just my style.

- Churrascaria: in mid-July I had my first Brazilian dining experience at Pampas in Palo Alto (http://www.pampaspaloalto.com/). The food was absolutely amazing - perfectly cooked meat, and lots of it - but my advice to any newcomers is to go hungry. Very hungry.

- 20s/30s Service: on July 20, the 20s/30s group at church led the worship service. Each of us participated in a different section, including 3 "sermonettes," readings, music, and prayers. We were warmly received by the congregation and it is wonderful to see this group gel so well.

- Vancouver: last week, July 22-24, I was up in Vancouver for work, visiting a key supplier. I traveled with my co-workers Steven and Dave. As the meetings didn't start until Wednesday, we had Tuesday night to explore downtown Vancouver a bit, including dinner on Robson Street. The majority of the trip centered on our sessions with the supplier (non-stop for two days, including intense contract negotiation for me), but we also had dinner with the supplier at Arriva, a fantastic Italian restaurant in a great neighborhood. I definitely want to go back to that area off Commercial Street to try more restaurants. The meetings went very well - this was a long overdue trip and I left on a bit of a high because of what we accomplished. I got home around 10:30 Thursday night and by that time all the adrenaline had dissipated. And then I worked a 13-hour day on Friday to catch up from being gone. I need to start hiring assistants to help me out while I'm gone on trips.

- Rachel: my sister arrived today for a 5-day visit. More to follow here soon!

Napa: Take Two

2008-07-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

On June 27-28, I made my second trip up to wine country with the 20s/30s group at church. One of the church members has a cabin in Napa that she generously offered to us for the weekend. I drove up solo Friday night due to my work schedule, arriving around 10pm. It was a bit of a terrifying drive as the cabin is literally on top of a mountain and the driveway is all dirt and rocks and hairpin turns. Did I mention it was 10pm and pitch black and the whole time I was driving I was hoping the Yahoo Map directions were correct? I have no idea how little Versa made it up in one piece! But the drive was worth it: what a beautiful hideaway.

I missed most of the activities Friday night - no homemade lasagna, no spiritual formation, no nature walk (although I was happy to have avoided the bees). Fortunately I did arrive in time to enjoy the slumber party, complete with sleeping bags and boy talk. There were six of us total on the trip but only one guy (the newest minister at church), and he stayed in the other room. Poor Steve.

We woke up surprisingly early on Saturday. Even with all the fires in Napa, which made for poor air quality, it was still a lovely view from the cabin. I was so happy to be surrounded by nature; almost like being home in Maine again! One of the neighbors called and said a mountain lion was in the area but we only heard it, no visual made. After we all ate breakfast and got ready for the day, we did some group reflection outside and then headed out for wine tasting.

We visited two wineries where we had connections, Cuvaison and Twomey, and they graciously provided free tastings. I, of course, purchased some not-so-free bottles. After the tastings, three of us grabbed a quick lunch at a deli, then I was on my way.

Well, I stopped at the Napa outlets first. How could I pass up a trip to the Ann Taylor Factory Store since I was in the neighborhood?

Oakland

2008-07-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

Prior to the last weekend in June, I had only been to Oakland for baseball games or use of the airport. People don't normally speak favorably of Oakland and I just never made an effort to explore the area. I am still no expert on Oakland and I'm pretty sure I never want to get too lost in that city, but I now know that there are some great spots there.

The purpose of the excursion was what my new friend Victor termed a "LinkedIn" evening - just a gathering of random people for dinner and a show. I naturally got lost en route to dinner (not too lost), but still managed to arrive on time. Actually, most people showed up well past the slated start time. I'm still adjusting to perpetual lateness out here. Anyhow, dinner was at Everett & Jones, which claims to be the Bay Area's finest barbeque, and it was very good indeed. After dinner, we headed to Yoshi's, a jazz club, for a blues show. Even though I was wiped out from my trip to Napa earlier that day, I rebounded with an Irish Coffee and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Fluffy and Fido

2008-07-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

When I was in the process of adopting Conor, the Humane Society provided me with a brochure entitled something like, "Introducing Fluffy and Fido." Translated, what steps McKenzie and I should take to ensure that Conor and Levi would be happy roommates. The brochure advised keeping the dog on a leash for the first introduction and not allowing Levi to corner or chase Conor. The adoption advisor also suggested a washcloth method: rub one washcloth on the cat's face and one on the dog's feet (apparently these are the areas where the animals have the strongest scent), and then put each one's washcloth under the other's food bowl. The thought being, I presume, that each would equate eating, a happy activity, with the scent of his new roommate.

Well, we never tried the washcloth method, but we did have the first introduction with Levi on a leash and we tried to prevent him from chasing Conor. At first Levi definitely dominated the relationship: Conor would hiss and growl, but Levi pretty much chased him under the bed most of the time. Conor did not appreciate Levi's barking or attempts to be Conor's new best friend.

Over the past couple of weeks, however, the tide has turned and Conor has become the boss. Conor has progressed from reactive maneuvers to chasing Levi for no reason. If he spots Levi or is annoyed with the barking, he'll jump out with a left or right hook. Fortunately, there is never any actual physical contact and Levi bears no scratch marks. While Levi still barks like crazy upon sight of Conor, Levi has demonstrated that he really is a bit of a wimp, albeit a sweet one. I am trying now to contain Conor from acting like too much of a punk - not sure how that will go.

The two things that prevent any aggression from either party: food (human or animal) and heat. Most of the time they engage in staring matches, waiting for the other to make a move. Case in point:

Bottom line: they have come a long way in three weeks and McKenzie and I have hope that these two quadrupeds may one day indeed be friends.

Geoff's Wedding

2008-07-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

I am severely delinquent in updating this little website. The past two weekends have been pretty busy, leaving not much time to recap what occurred. Bear with me; I'll get caught up eventually!

Anyhow, we'll start in the middle of the two weeks' worth of activities with the wedding of my co-worker Geoff. He and his now wife, Jenn, got married this past Thursday, the eve of 4th of July, at a beautiful vineyard in Pleasanton (http://www.palmeventcenter.com/). Not only was this the first wedding I attended in California, it was the first Bhuddist ceremony I have ever been to. It was fascinating, capped off by very moving participation from their parents. They had absolutely perfect weather for an evening summer wedding, the venue was fantastic, and the food was top-notch. Really. I'm still thinking about the pork entree and I loved the cake. I may not have caught the bouquet (us single girls fixed it), but I had a lovely time.

First Dance

Other BSC attendees (L-R): Marvin; Dave and his wife; Steven and his wife; Tiffany

Conor

2008-06-22T20:05:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, I adopted a cat from the Silicon Valley Humane Society. He is a one year old tabby weighing in at a strong 13 pounds. While this seems huge, he's actually quite lean, just very tall and long. His given name was Raider, but as this seems quite violent and since I am a Patriots fan, I renamed him Conor, in keeping with my family's pattern of giving our pets Irish names.

In the one week that he has been Conor, he has adjusted quite well to apartment life. He's a champ with the litter box, hasn't destroyed anything, loves to play, is fearless when it comes to vet visits and meeting new people, and is very affectionate. The only thing Conor hasn't quite yet warmed up to is Levi, my roommate's beagle. Levi approaches Conor with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader trying to be named most popular, but Conor is not yet a fan of the constant barking and attention. Whenever Levi comes within two feet of Conor, Conor lays down his ears and hisses. There have also been a couple of left hooks thrown, which have caused Levi to sprint away. They will figure out how to get along eventually. For right now, Conor spends most of his time sleeping on the fridge whenever Levi is roaming.

As for my adjustment, I was completely stressed out at the beginning of the week as I worried about Conor settling in with the rhythm of our apartment life. This stress didn't last long, however, and now I remember how easy it is to take care of cats. Conor is an absolute joy to have and I hope everyone will have a chance to meet him at some point.

Gas Price Update

2008-06-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I fueled up for a drive up to San Francisco (Giants-As game), and paid $4.49/gallon. Ugh.

When will BART connect San Jose to Fremont and San Francisco so I can stop driving so much?

Sickness

2008-06-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to California, I find myself often getting sick. A lot. Let me provide some details:

September: surprisingly, nothing major, other than the worst allergies of my life kicking in. I grew up in the woods of Maine with never any allergies and only had minor allergies in Boston. One week out here and I'm miserable. Oh, and I immediately gained almost five pounds. Damn cortisol stress hormone! (Just warning you in case you are about to embark on a similar move.)
October: I develop some sort of sinus infection and spend the eve of my birthday in Urgent Care with a fever. Doctor gives me my first prescription in California for antibiotics. It takes me nearly two weeks to recover.
late November / early December: somehow I contract a jaw infection. I didn't even know you could get infections in your jaw. The dentist prescribes my second round of antibiotics out here. The jaw and facial pain episode also lasted approximately two weeks. I begin to question if my body is falling apart.
January: My stomach decides to join to the fun. It's actually just a run-of-the-mill bug, no eating for a couple of days, could hardly move, but I recover fairly quickly from this one.
February: I come down with an eye infection, receive prescription antibiotic eye drops, and cannot wear my contact lenses for a week. This infection is annoying and doesn't look very good, but it didn't slow me down too much.
March: oddly enough, I don't think I get sick this month, other than ongoing miserable allergies. I credit my health to my mother: I saw her twice in March - once in California, once in Boston - and she seems to have a way of carrying a wellness aura with her.
April / May: as detailed in one of the posts below, I went to Maine at the end of April and got very sick from an infected cyst. Round four of antibiotics. The after-effects of this one last into May, I even burst a blood vessel in my eye from the coughing.
June: I had the cyst removed on June 2, which is actually a fairly minor surgery. Then, on June 8, last Sunday, I got the flu. That day I did nothing except sleep, talk on the phone, and drink water. Well, I took a shower and went to the grocery store, but each of these activities required a prep nap and a recovery nap. I had to decline going out to watch the Celtics playoff game. I was unable to go to work on Monday but forced myself back to the grocery store to buy Gatorade and bread. I slept all day Monday. I made the dumb decision to go to work on Tuesday. Stomach issues developed during the car ride. For the next four hours I was in the bathroom at regular 10 minute intervals. Severe dehydration ensued. I did not leave work until 10:30am due to how bad the morning commute traffic always is - I really couldn't be in a car for more than 20 minutes. I went to the doctor midday Tuesday to ensure this was not salmonella. She confirmed it was viral bug, not bacterial, I received a prescription to calm my intestines, and I proceeded to sleep the rest of Tuesday. On Wednesday I was able to walk upright and had successfully kept down all components of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), so I went to work. I was absolutely exhausted, had severe muscle pain in my legs, and was obligated to take a nap after lunch, but I made it through the day. Thursday I was definitely feeling stronger, although I had a little relapse of the stomach issues in the afternoon (why did I have a bite of Fran's oatmeal, why?!). Friday morning I felt even better and decided to try a bit of gym action at the apartment (even I knew I still wasn't ready for Club Sport quite yet). I rode the bike - the easiest of all machines - for 12 minutes and nearly passed out. So while I am better, the muscles and endurance aren't quite back yet, and I have missed the gym for a week now. The good part about Friday was that I re-introduced protein to my diet and I suffer no ramifications from my stomach. I think I'm finally on the mend.

Let me confirm for everyone that I never used to get sick that much at all. In my nearly nine months out here, I have filled five prescriptions for these random illnesses, whereas back east I may have had one major bug every year or so. Many people who have been through the same type of cross-country move as I said that being sick regularly is something to expect for the first year. I didn't experience this in my college years in Pennsyltucky or France, but I can say for sure that I most certainly have in California. While it is comforting to know that my regular and varied illnesses do not indicate that my entire immune system has collapsed, I am still frustrated by the constant barrage of viruses.

All suggestions for preventing future rounds of sickness are currently being accepted. Keep in mind that I already take a daily vitamin, drink well over 8 glasses of water a day, eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, work out daily, have taken up meditation, and am being very good about sleeping a minimum of 7 hours a night. But please let me know what else I need to be doing to ensure good health!

Pier 39

2008-06-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

I finally did it: I went to San Francisco's #1 tourist trap, Pier 39 (http://www.pier39.com/). In my defense, the purpose of my visit was not to visit the sea lions, buy from the souvenir shops (although I did purchase some salt water taffy), eat at the restaurants, or snap pictures of Alcatraz. The views of the city were in fact great but I was there to see a local San Francisco musical, "Insignificant Others" (http://www.isomusical.com/). I heard about this show via Travelzoo (which, incidentally, is a great source of travel / entertainment deals), and once I read that the premise involved five friends who move to San Francisco from Ohio, I thought I should see it. And after I saw that someone described the show as a cross between "Will and Grace" and "Sex and the City," I definitely thought I should go. The show did not disappoint: it captures San Francisco's unique quirks as well as the importance of friends - particularly following a cross-country move, and it was absolutely hysterical. If you're ever out this way, definitely go see the musical. And I suppose do a quick tour of Pier 39 as well, if only because a tourist is supposed to.

More Red Sox

2008-05-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

The Red Sox were in Oakland this Memorial Day weekend for a series against the As. I went to the game Friday night with my friend Paul and his friend Mike; Wakefield was up to no good and the Sox lost. I had to cope with this annoying As fan next to me with green and yellow streamers in her hair, who literally clapped or commented on every pitch. Maybe the meditation is paying off: I did not make any snide comments to her.

I also went to the game Saturday night, this time alone, although you're never really alone at a baseball game and I made friends with all the Sox fans around me. Have I mentioned that Red Sox games in Oakland are always at least a 50/50 split of Sox fans to As fans? Or that the As didn't sell out either game I went to? Anyhow, Saturday night Beckett was pitching and he was phenomenal, but apparently the Sox left their offense back East. They lost again. I exhibited extreme restraint by making no snide comments to the toolbag sitting behind me who was ranting and raving about the Patriots cheating and how much he hates Boston teams.

I didn't go the game yesterday, but they lost that game too. Swept by the As. Maybe I should feel depressed but it is still so early in the season, no reason for frustration yet. We New England fans know the importance of perseverance.

Wisconsin

2008-05-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have now been to Wisconsin. It is a lovely state, although the reason I went was not necessarily personal choice but rather for work.

Backing up, last Monday I awoke at 3:45am to commence this journey. Apparently many other people also woke up this early, evidenced by the security line at San Jose wrapped all around the baggage carousels. My three co-workers and I fortunately made it through Security in a timely manner, with even enough time to spare for a stop at Starbucks (I ordered the largest Awake tea possible). The flight attendants were then apparently missing/delayed, so we got off the ground a little late, but we did manage to arrive in Chicago on time. Side note: I really am not a United fan, particularly in a middle seat, but I had 1.5 weeks notice for this trip and options were limited.

Once we arrived in Chicago, the four of us met up with two more co-workers who came in from San Francisco and Sacramento. After one rental car swap - we traded a foul-smelling, dirty Saturn from Texas with no head room for a brand new Ford Taurus - we were on our way. Wisconsin was not the first stop; we had an afternoon meeting in Lake Forest, Illinois, about 30 miles north of O'Hare.

We reached Milwaukee around dinner time and opted to eat at The Water Buffalo in what appeared to be the downtown, right by the river. Milwaukee was a surprisingly quiet city with an equally surprisingly dirty river, but the food was outstanding and I had my first ever Spotted Cow beer (excellent). Navigating out of the city was a bit challenging even with the Hertz Never Lost woman and her constant recalculations. We did see Miller Park where the Brewers play, but no home games that night. Side note: the Red Sox swept the Brewers the previous Friday through Sunday games and Jon Lester pitched a no-hitter that Monday night - I was in a happy state of mind.

Our hotel for the two-night stay was a Towne Suites by Marriott, one of those extended stay type of hotels. We were in a fine mood after the Spotted Cow, cheese, and rocking out to XM satellite radio (have I mentioned I have fun co-workers?!), and the party continued through the check-in process. I think these two women working at the Towne Suites may have been indulging in something in the back room. We finally all managed to get checked in, I did some work, then passed out from exhaustion.

The two days of meetings in Wisconsin went well. Dinner Tuesday night was at a place called Prime Quarter. For $19.95 you select your cut of meat, they cook it for a $2 charge or you can cook it on the open grill, plus you get a baked potato, Texas toast, and a trip to the salad bar (which entailed not much more than iceberg lettuce, cukes, pasta salad, hard-boiled eggs, and bacon). We had to order the wine by its number, just like ordering food at a Chinese restaurant. I knew for sure by this point that I wasn't in California any more. One of my co-workers is vegetarian and I think he lost 5 pounds on this trip. After dinner I worked until my mind just froze up from fatigue.

Wednesday morning we made a quick stop at Brennan's to buy cheese. Our supplier was kind enough to refrigerate the cheese all day for us during the meetings. We departed a little after 3pm on Wednesday and our flight to Denver left at 5pm out of Milwaukee. The plane was tiny and the conditions were turbulent, but we made it. Our layover in Denver permitted us to grab dinner there before the connecting flight to San Jose. That flight was delayed so we arrived in California a little after 11pm. By the time we got our bags and I dropped my manager off at his house, it was midnight before I got home. It was 1:30am before I went to sleep due to the unpacking and email damage control. All in all, I was up for 22 hours that day and went into "fake it 'til you make it" mode at work the next day. And that was a 12 hour day due to all the catch-up I had from the trip.

All in all, it was a great trip with productive meetings, I enjoyed Wisconsin very much - definitely many thriving suburban communities, and it was good to have a change of pace. But I was overjoyed to have a long weekend this weekend in order to recover from the lack of sleep!

Gas Price Update

2008-05-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

I failed to mention when gas hit $4.00/gallon (awhile ago now). This Saturday I paid $4.15/gallon. Man, I really miss car pooling, a subway system that went where I wanted to go, and being able to walk to the grocery store.

First Giants Game

2008-05-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended my first San Francisco Giants game with the 20s/30s group from church and some other friends. The stadium was gorgeous and had a huge variety of food to buy (I opted for the turkey burger and sampled someone else's garlic fries). If you have never been to a Giants game, be advised that you should bring a heavy coat or blanket when going as the park's proximity to the bay means lots of wind and cool temperatures at night.

I had a great time but I must confess that I did not pay much attention to the game, focusing more on catching up with people, eating, and trying to stay warm. I did, however, register the fact that the Giants lost the game to the Phillies. While there were some die-hard fans there, most people seemed as disengaged as I. The game seemed more like a hang-out spot, rife with unruly people in the bleachers and teens wandering aimlessly. Perhaps this is due to the fact that tickets are inexpensive and plentiful. Overall there just did not seem to be the intensity or fervor that I know and love from Red Sox fans, which took away a little from the modern ballpark. Nonetheless, I would certainly go back, if only to socialize and enjoy the city. (Side note: I saw several people sporting their Red Sox gear at the game so rest assured that the citizens of Red Sox nation have infiltrated all stadiums, even if the Red Sox are not present.)

Following the game, a few of us headed to the North Beach area of the city, where we found some gelato. We then went to Vesuvio, a bar known as being a central gathering place for the Beat Generation, including Jack Kerouac. By the time I got home, I had been awake for nearly 22 hours, a surprising feat given the week I had at work. I slept well.

Me with Paul and Dan

On the left is Steve Naylor, the Acting Minister of Programming and Outreach at church. Also in the picture are his friends Brady and Gwen and my fellow South Bay-er, the other Steve.

At Vesuvio

Back to New England Again

2008-05-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Since I last wrote, I have been to Maine, Boston, and Urgent Care. My apologies for going radio silent but when I have not been working or traveling, I have been trying to recover!

The long weekend in New England began with a red eye flight from San Jose to Boston the evening of April 24, followed by a 6am bus ride to Portland, Maine. Friday was a quiet day of relaxing, ending with my favorite grilled chicken salad in Falmouth with my mom, a visit with Grandpa (who celebrated his 89th birthday 3 months ago), the latest episode of "Lost" on DVR with my dad, and a Red Sox loss. Saturday started early with an 8am 5K for Safe Passage which I completed with my friend Mary. That afternoon I made the requisite trip to LL Bean (and replaced all my Nalgene water bottles), baked cookies with mom, and generally just basked in the joy that is being in Maine. We had a family dinner that night - including dad's famous "beef dish" - and then watched the Red Sox lose again.

At 2:30 am on Sunday morning, all the bad stuff started. I awoke with the worst sore throat I have experienced in recent memory. Once it was daylight, I decided a trip to Urgent Care was necessary, both for the throat and for a cyst on my head. As Urgent Care did not open until 9am, I first went to breakfast with my parents - to my childhood favorite, Down East, which is closing this year (a Walgreen's will soon grace the property). By this point the fever had set in. Fortunately Urgent Care was moving quickly once I arrived and I was seen right away. Sure enough, my cyst was infected causing my whole sinus/lymph/drainage system not to work properly. I did not have strep throat but received a prescription for antibiotics to heal me up. Mom and I filled the prescription, bought me some lunch at Amato's, and then I finally boarded the bus to Boston.

I arrived in Boston a few hours later than planned, meaning I did not get a visit in to Old South Church. Fortunately Matt and Leslie's wedding celebration (the whole reason I planned the trip) ran from noon to 8pm. I met up with Anthony and Chris at their apartment and we headed over to the party. While I most certainly was not in top form, it was fantastic to see the happy couple. That night I relaxed with Anthony and Chris, ate plenty of frozen yogurt, and slept soundly on their couch. The next morning Anthony dropped me off on Beacon Street in Brookline, where I spent the morning with Emily, who also had a vacation day, and we lunched at Mr. Sushi. Despite being under the weather, I had a great visit to New England although these trips are always a little bittersweet. Thank goodness for Jet Blue and their affordable direct flights!

My flight from Boston arrived in California around 7:15pm local time on Monday night. Surprisingly I was still fairly functional - I unpacked and readied myself for the work week. Yup, I worked all week and for the most part am now feeling better, although my sinuses are emptying so much it is very embarrassing to be in public. I even burst some vessels in one eye due to all the blowing of the nose. Super.

As for my next trip to New England, it is not set in stone, but I might go back in July. Stay tuned...

Daily Life

2008-04-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

Since starting this little site, I have not detailed much related to my weekly routine. Perhaps that is because I spend most of my time working! But in case you are curious, here are the things that constitute my typical week:

Work: BSC-Fremont is approximately 16 miles from where I live in Campbell. Fortunately I do the reverse commute on 880 (and am usually driving at 5:30am and after 7:00pm) and the drive generally only takes me 20-25 minutes. I work in Capital Equipment and the key products our site manufactures are iLab, Rotablator, and the Detachable Coil Power Supply.
Gym: the reason my commute occurs at 5:30am is because I go to the gym before work. This way there are no excuses for not going! My California gym is Club Sport, and although it costs significantly more than Bally's did in Boston, the amenities are fantastic and they offer lots of classes that are included with membership. I usually go to Pilates once per week and have recently started going to yoga.
Apartment: I live in the Avalon Campbell apartment complex - and McKenzie and I have decided to renew our lease for another year starting in May. The apartment is very convenient to the Light Rail and downtown Campbell. It also boasts a washer and dryer - I feel like I'm in paradise!!
Shopping: the two shopping hot spots near me are Santana Row (also home to fabulous massages at Burke Williams!) and Valley Fair. There are outlets in Gilroy (45 minutes away), but the California tax rate of 8.5% negates some of the savings, particularly since Massachusetts has no sales tax on clothing.
Farmers Markets: while I don't go to the farmers markets every week, if I decide to go, I go to the one in Sunnyvale on Saturdays or to the one locally in Campbell on Sundays.
Church: I will soon become an official member of the Congregational Church of San Mateo. I have definitely found a new church home, complete with a newly formed and active 20s / 30s group.
Downtown Campbell: less than a mile away from where I live, Campbell's small downtown offers plenty of things to do, including my favorite coffee shop, Orchard Valley, along with a great gelato shop.
Groceries: while Safeway is the main chain out here and is just around the corner from my apartment, I most always shop at Trader Joe's, just over a mile away in the PruneYard, another great hangout.
Los Gatos Creek Trail: the trail runs right behind the apartment and I love to walk it on Saturdays.

So these are all the random places and activities that comprise my daily life. But of course there are always more things to learn about!

San Francisco Symphony

2008-04-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended my first San Francisco Symphony performance. One of my co-workers had a ticket he could not use, so I jumped at the opportunity. Last night's show was "Bach and Handel"; works by Purcell and Respighi were also highlighted. They do not allow photography so I could not even attempt to capture the beauty of Davies Hall. Be sure to check the symphony out at: http://www.sfsymphony.org/

Go Sox!

2008-04-06T18:17:00.001-07:00

This past Tuesday I attended the Oakland A's opening day - against the Red Sox! It was my first time up at the Coliseum and I was happy to see many other Red Sox fans at the game and to determine that A's fans are much less scary than Raiders fans. Of course, I was also happy because the right team won. Daisuke and Papelbon both looked very strong.

Based on my Fenway background, two things about the logistics of the game were highly surprising: (1) I could buy tickets online - all you Boston fans know the scarcity of tickets back home; (2) the Coliseum has abundant parking right next to the stadium - we even showed up a little late and were still able to drive in and get a good parking spot.

I also have tickets to a Red Sox-A's game during the Memorial Day series. Can't wait!

Daisuke looking strong

Just one of many Red Sox fans at the game!

Levi Loves the Sharks

2008-03-30T13:59:00.001-07:00

In honor of the Sharks' success so far this season, Levi donned his gear...

East Coast Road Trip

2008-03-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

This past week I embarked on a long road trip for work. Starting at 4am on Monday morning, I proceeded to fly to Raleigh, North Carolina (with a layover in Phoenix). I met a co-worker at the airport, then we drove 30 miles to our first destination. After a supplier meeting on Tuesday, we drove over 300 miles up to Salisbury, Maryland. Fortunately our rental Subaru Impreza was more fuel-efficient than we anticipated. We repeated the pattern on Wednesday, meeting with a supplier all morning, then driving approximately 300 miles to Stratford, Connecticut. On the way there we saw the President's helicopter entourage, believe we uncovered the end of the earth crossing from Delaware into New Jersey, and stopped to visit my friend Debbie in New Jersey. Debbie and her husband Dan (my first manager at BSC) recently moved to the Garden State and also had a baby in December. It was wonderful to catch up with her, meet Freddie, and enjoy lots of affection from their yellow lab Tobey.

On Thursday, we again started the day with a supplier visit, then drove up to Marlborough, Massachusetts that afternoon. We visited the BSC R&D center in Marlborough and then had a supplier dinner that night. Our last supplier meeting was Friday morning, then we proceeded on to BSC headquarters in Natick. My travel buddy then headed to the airport, while I stayed to catch up with all the people I used to see every day in Natick.

And then the Boston/non-work portion of the trip began for me! Just like the good ol' days, "Car Pool Man," aka Anthony, picked me up from BSC. We met up with Chris, Matt, and Leslie at Grafton Street in Harvard Square and I had a great time catching up with everyone and just unwinding from the week.

After dinner, I met my mom at the Hyatt in Cambridge. What a treat that she was able to come down from Maine and join me for the evening. We had breakfast Saturday morning, followed by a short walk - it was short due to the wind and cold along the Charles. I can't believe how cold it still is in Boston! (FYI, there was a snow storm in Maine and New Hampshire on Friday.) Mom and I then said our good-byes and I met my friend Emily for brunch at the Fireplace in Washington Square in Brookline. We had a great time, then I met my friend Maria for tea at Finale in Coolidge Corner. And then it was time to head for the airport!

It was most certainly a wonderful week - fantastic to see friends and Boston, and the work meetings went very well. I am, however, most definitely happy to be back in California. I even found myself thinking of this state as home during the long flight back...I think I have hit an important milestone - and it only took 6 months. But in case I have any twinges of homesickness, I will be in Maine and Boston the last weekend in April!

Wine Country

2008-03-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

The weekend portion of my parents' visit was spent in wine country. On the way to Napa, we stopped first at the Sunnyvale farmers' market so Mom and Dad could get a sense of the fresh produce offered out this way. Needless to say, they were jealous! The weather also continued its stunning pattern, staying at 70 and sunny the whole weekend.

Once we arrived in Napa, we had lunch at Fume Bistro, then were joined back at the hotel by my friend Mackenzie, in from Pittsburgh for a couple of days for work training. And thus began the wine tours. We spent Saturday in Napa, visiting Trefethen, Monticello (why did I not buy the Pinot Noir here?!), and Jessup (shout out to our new friends Rex and Ben for the recommendation). The day concluded with a divine dinner at Bistro Jeanty - the best French food I have had in a very long time. Thanks for the recommendation, Matt! (and sorry we didn't make it to Cuvaison this time)

At Trefethen with Mackenzie

Mom and Mackenzie by lemon tree at Trefethen

Orange trees at Trefethen

View from Trefethen

Monticello

View from Monticello

Me and Mackenzie at Jessup

Mom and Dad at Jessup

Me and Mackenzie at Bistro Jeanty

We were very leisurely Sunday morning, partially due to all the time adjustments and partially because we didn't think we were ready to start tastings at 10am. Our plan of attack was to drive to Sonoma, where our first stop was B.R. Cohn, which featured not just wine but also olive oil and other food products. After that, we went to Imagery, which had the most open tasting area and also the prettiest bottles in my opinion. We then stopped for a late lunch at Cafe Citti, a great trattoria recommended by the people at Imagery. Our last wine tasting ended up being at St. Francis. We probably had time for 1-2 more stops but we were pretty overwhelmed by wine tastings by that point. So we drove some of the back roads around Sonoma to take in more of the scenery and the beautiful day, then it was time to head home. I can't wait to return to wine country soon!

View from B.R. Cohn

St. Francis

View from St. Francis

My Parents are Here!

2008-03-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night, my parents arrived and they will stay through next week. This is the first time people from my East Coast world (outside of co-workers) have been to my new world. It's kind of strange but I am so happy to have them here!

As I was working yesterday, my parents took a trek down to Monterey, which included a long visit at the aquarium and exploring Cannery Row. I think they are still in shock about the sunny 70 degree weather out here, particularly given the ongoing onslaught of snow storms back in Maine.

I took today off and the three of us ventured up 280, across the Golden Gate Bridge, to Marin County. The weather was very cooperative, although San Francisco looked a little hazy:

We made the journey in my parents' rental Prius. Is there anything more fitting for California? But given the amount of day trips that will be occurring, getting over 50 miles per gallon is a boon indeed.

The classic shot in front of the bridge...

Near the bridge is a memorial to the "Lone Sailor." Here is a shot of my dad by the statue as well as the Navy plaque. Both my dad and my grandfather were Navy men; my grandfather had far too many trips to San Francisco during WWII.

After crossing the bridge we drove to Sausalito, a beautiful little town right by the water where all the chi-chi people seem to live. It was a bit touristy but we loved shopping and eating there as well as seeing the panoramic view of the city. From there we began our winding voyage around the area, seeing Mill Valley, Belvedere, and Tiburon, which we loved (see photo from Tiburon below). The voyage on Paradise Drive was harrowing but absolutely beautiful. I need to go back and see this area on bike! All in all, it was a great day and we agreed that this part of the Bay Area absolutely reminded us of southern France. I almost had the sensation of being in a different state on vacation even though I was only a little over an hour from home!

Ever Seen a Beagle in a Raincoat?

2008-02-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

McKenzie procured a yellow slicker for Levi from Target today. He just now made his first appearance in his rain gear. Yes, the rain came back, but hopefully the weather will return to 70 and sunny by the time my parents and Mackenzie come to visit in early March.

Taxachusetts? More like "Californ-ya gonna get taxed"

2008-02-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

I just completed my 2007 tax returns - love Turbo Tax. While Massachusetts may have a liberal, "Taxachusetts" reputation, I never once owed income taxes there, including the 2007 return I just finished. I am also getting a refund on my 2007 federal return. But California, where I resided for merely 114 days last year? I owe the Governator $194.

The other kicker: in Massachusetts there is no tax on clothing and a 5% tax on everything else. California? 8.5% on everything.

Thoughts on the Super Bowl

2008-02-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

For everyone mourning the Patriots' loss as I am, let me just say it is infinitely worse when you are not surrounded by fellow fans. I walked into work on Monday and the Production workers pointed at me and laughed. And I never talked trash or was an arrogant fan the whole season long! I can't tell you how many Californians, most of whom could care less about the Giants, told me how ecstatic they were that the Giants won. How they think the Patriots are a bunch of jerks. It was a dark day.

Even though the Pats have only been good for a few years now - after decades of being the "Pay-toilets" - there seems to be a true hatred of them. So what changed from 2002 to 2008? To me they are still the same team, with most of the same players, with the same team-centric attitude. Tom Brady may be a little prettier, Rodney Harrison talks smack, and Randy Moss has a horrible personal life, but what could merit such vehement hatred?

Bottom line: if the Pats make it to the Super Bowl next year - which I think they now have ample motivation to achieve - I may need to fly home for the game to be in the land of my people.

My therapy in the interim? I bought tickets to the Oakland A's opening game against the Red Sox and tickets to the A's-Red Sox Memorial Day weekend game. Hope springs eternal!

Versa

2008-02-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

I finally took a picture of my car with its California license plates (which arrived in a speedy 4 months from the DMV...). It took me awhile to get used to Versa after nearly 5 years with Focus. Versa may look small, as so many people comment, yet it is quite roomy inside, with more head room than most cars. I don't think Versa is as hardy as Focus - no snow tires, has yet to experience temperatures below freezing - but we're getting along quite nicely.

"Rainy Season"

2008-02-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

During the month of January I kept hearing Californians reference that we were in "rainy season." I figured we were entering a period of three months of Seattle-esque weather, with non-stop gloomy, wet days. Au contraire. While there was indeed much more rain than I had experienced in the fall, there were still some days of sun each week and some days were merely gray. And this only lasted about three weeks, much shorter than the New England definition of "season." I don't know whether we are officially done with "rainy season," but it has been about 60 degrees and sunny the past few days and the extended forecast looks to be the same. No complaints from me!

San Francisco - Take Two

2008-01-25T22:19:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I took my second trip to San Francisco and my impressions were much more favorable this go-around. I focused this time on the traditional touristy things, loosely following the Barbary Coast Trail. This entailed tons of walking up and down lots of hills; fortunately, as you can see from the photos below, the weather was perfect!

Golden Gate Bridge from afar

Alcatraz from on high

Ghiradelli Square

Cable Cars

My First Sharks Game

2008-01-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to my first Sharks game. My roommate's father was able to get box seats through his work - now I am spoiled for all future games! The view was fantastic and I was pleasantly surprised not to freeze during the game. I'm used to a good New England hockey game where hats, jackets, and mittens are required if one wants to maintain feeling in the limbs throughout the game. Not the case in Cali, it was very comfortable, no jacket required. Not sure how they keep the ice frozen...

While my heart was with the Patriots last night, I did very much enjoy the game, learning all the fan rituals. The audience participation in preparation for power plays was most amusing. The flying sharks (see second photo) were also a new experience for me. I have been told I am allowed to attend future games as the Sharks pulled out a 3-2 victory. If it came down to the Bruins and Sharks in the Stanley Cup, I think I would probably still root for the Bruins, but I am on the verge of adopting my first local sports team.

Parting Thoughts from Maine

2007-12-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

I returned to California from Maine on Friday, spending some time in Boston that day to visit with my friend Emily. It was a very smooth trip, I'm just a tad jet-lagged now. I was a little sad to leave Maine because it means vacation is almost over and I am not sure whether I will be back there before next Christmas. But no need for drama - I am come from a pragmatic mother and this is life! Email and cell phones make the distance seem less consequential.

Before I resume posts on California, here are two last photos from this Maine trip. The first is of the sunrise on my last day there. This photo doesn't even do the scene justice as the colors were extraordinary with a fog rising from the snow. Oh, Maine, how I love you! The second is a photo my sister engineered in the basement of my parents' house with their two cats and my sister's cat. I had to have food on my lap to make this happen! Noticeably absent is my beloved RJ (twin sister of Emily, the cat on the far left), who died a couple of weeks before I got home. But if there had been four cats, I'm not sure a photo would have happened - it was challenging enough to get these three in one shot!

From L-R: Emily - the matriarch and the only cat not trying to run off, Katydid (Katie), and Sophie (my sister's cat)

White Christmas in Maine

2007-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have now completed the journey from California home to Maine in order to spend Christmas with my family. I arrived in the nick of time yesterday as a large snow storm descended upon us last night. It is still snowing as I write! I shoveled for 1.5 hours this morning and will head out again later today. What a joy it is for me to be home, relaxing, resting, and enjoying Maine's nature and pace of life.

Work

2007-12-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

My updates would not be complete without some pictures from work, since that is where I spend the vast majority of my time. The first below is of some co-workers outside one of the BSC-Fremont buildings (I actually work in a building across the street, not the one pictured here). The second picture is the view from my cube (Tiffany's cube).

From L-R: Kevin, Sonny, me, Fran, Pam, Ryan

I went to Stanford...

2007-12-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

...well, I didn't graduate from the university, but this weekend I did visit Palo Alto, home of Stanford and a very charming downtown. I must apologize because I did not take any pictures of the area - having camera battery issues of late. Nonethless, take my word for it when I say that Stanford has a gorgeous campus. Memorial Church, the Hoover Tower, the quadrangle...just stunning. (For the benefit of my fellow GCC alums, it is much, much larger than our favorite Pennsyltucky campus.) Palo Alto itself was also fantastic with many cute shops and eateries. I somehow ended up in Menlo Park too. Still not sure how that happened but I get lost all the time out here! Anyhow, Menlo Park's downtown was very cute as well.

The only thing disconcerting about this weekend was that it feels like fall here: the leaves are turning brown and falling, we have a temperature range of high 30s to mid 50s each day, and it is sunny most of the time. A far cry from the East Coast weather of late!

I will soon be in the thick of the snow, however, as I return to New England this week. From what I gather, we'll definitely have a white Christmas in Maine this year! I have a red-eye flight back Tuesday night, arriving in Boston at approximately 5am EST on Wednesday. I will then take a bus to Maine and begin a long (and much-needed) vacation. Yippee!

McKenzie and Levi

2007-12-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

For the first time since leaving college, I have a good roommate! McKenzie is a native of San Jose and has been most helpful as I settle in. She has a beagle, Levi, which means I get a dog with no responsibility. =) He looks absolutely adorable here - in his Christmas scarf - but he's much less charming when he goes on a barking tear...

Monterey to Carmel

2007-12-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago I went down to Monterey, which is about an hour from Campbell. I have tons of photos still to post of the historic homes and Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. This post, however, is reserved for some of my favorite ocean shots of the drive from Monterey to Carmel. I am in love with this area! It reminds me of the rocky Maine coast, except here when you drive south, the ocean is on your right. Thanks to my co-worker Fran for showing me around this part of the area. I definitely have to go back!

New Church Home

2007-12-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

After many weeks of "church shopping," I have finally found a church that I like: the Congregational Church in San Mateo. CCSM is a UCC church, just like Old South that I belonged to in Boston and the church I grew up in Maine. The new minister of this church is even from New Hampshire so this New England girl is right at home!

The only downside: it is 33 miles away.

Price of Gas...and Other Notes from the Road

2007-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

For all of you on the East Coast who think gas prices are high there, let me say for the record that I have now paid $3.51 - $3.55/gallon (regular) for the last month. Apparently prices are even higher right in the city of San Francisco. I'll let you know once we hit $4.

The good news is that my Versa is very fuel-efficient. The bad news is that these West Coast peeps don't seem to be into the car pool thing at all. Every other car on the road out here is a Prius, but what good does that do if you're commuting 60 miles each way and refuse to sacrifice some independence and car pool? Just my crazy thought... I guess I miss the whole car pool experience too!

A couple other notes from driving out here:

1. There are speed bumps EVERYWHERE. Every single parking lot has them. Beware if you come and visit.

2. The drivers are mildly less aggressive than back in Boston and they never use their horns. I used mine once and felt like everyone stopped and stared.

Lastly, speaking of my car, I'll get a picture up at some point. I'm still waiting for my California plates. I guess DMVs operate at the same pace across the nation...

First Taste of San Francisco

2007-11-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

I made my first trek to San Francisco yesterday. To get there, I drove to Daly City, about 45 minutes from Campbell, then took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit - commuter rail) to Powell Street, about a 20 minute train ride. BART and I got along well, but when it came time to switch to Muni (the equivalent of the T in Boston), I struggled a bit. You can only pay the $1.50 fare in quarters (it took me 10 minutes to figure this out and where to get quarters) and once you figure out which train you need, they do not announce the stops. For stops above ground, there are no signs even telling you where you are (well, at least not on the N line I took). I even consulted the map on the train, but they don't label all the stops that occur on the map! A gentleman told me at one point that we were at UCSF; the map said 9th and Judah was next, so I got off at the next stop. Turns out I had to walk about 8 blocks until I got where I needed to be because there were 2 more (unmarked) stops between UCSF and 9th and Judah.

My trusty California guidebook proposes a three day itinerary in order to see the highlights of the city, so I picked one of the three options for this go-around, The Golden Gate Park route. The book compares Golden Gate Park to Central Park in New York but I found it to be much nicer, not as bustling. I visited the Japanese Tea Garden (first four shots below), which is quite nice and quite small - not sure it was worth the $4 entry fee since I canvassed the place in under 10 minutes. I enjoyed the Botanical Garden and Shakespeare Garden even more. Both are free to enter, were fairly quiet, and had tons of benches. If I lived in the city, I would be in these gardens all the time.

I also visited the De Young museum, one of the most eclectic museums I have ever been to. It is a mostly contemporary museum and had works from sculpture to photography to textiles to an oil painting gallery on American history. The museum also has an observatory on the 9th floor from which you can see the whole city. The only unfortunate part was that pictures were not really feasible due to the glass!

Outside of Golden Gate Park, I saw some of the surrounding neighborhood (lots of triple decker homes and hills, sort of like Worcester!), had lunch at Park Chow on 9th Avenue, and did a little window shopping in Union Square before boarding the train. I certainly did not want to be lingering in this city by myself at night.

Overall, while I loved the park region of San Francisco, outside the park I was not favorably impressed by the city. It seemed kind of tired, a little dirty, and I just never felt quite safe. Granted, this was just my first trip and I only saw a portion of the city. I will definitely go back but I would much prefer having a companion with me. Or maybe I just prefer cities that are more European in feel!

Japanese Tea Garden

Botanical Garden

Shakespeare Garden: the back wall has all the references to plants that Shakespeare made in his plays. Not sure that they can grow all those plants here though (e.g. hemlock?).

Santa Cruz

2007-11-24T22:29:00.000-08:00

I visited Santa Cruz back in September. The city is about 30 minutes south of me, right on the Pacific. I took route 17 to get there, which is beautiful, but very winding and thus a bit terrifying at times. Once I arrived in Santa Cruz, the water, sand, and blue skies were absolutely stunning - a far cry from the New England foliage I was used to seeing at this time of year. I enjoyed meandering around the wharf/beach area, did some shopping downtown - very nice, although it quickly turns sketchy on the outskirts, and walked the boardwalk/amusement park area - way too commercial and far too many children for my taste. I also drove around the area quite a bit and there is a fabulous lighthouse, which I did not get a picture of this time.

These sea lions are LOUD!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T22:25:00.001-08:00

For the first time ever, I did not spend Thanksgiving with my family. It just would have been too much with the short break, crazy airports, flight time, and time difference. Plus I'll be home on December 19!

McKenzie's family graciously invited me to their house in San Jose, where we enjoyed a wonderful feast. Her father did take a group photo, which I will try to get a copy of. For now, all I have is a picture of the spread, including McKenzie's table scape.

The Apartment

2007-11-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

I do not have any pictures yet of McKenzie, my roommate, or her beagle, Levi, but below are some shots of the apartment.

Living Room/Patio

Kitchen/Dining Room/Piano

My Room

Introduction

2007-11-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

Never in a million years did I picture myself creating my own blog...but if you had told me four months ago that I'd be living in California by the end of the year, I never would have believed that either, yet here I am. Given the sudden life changes this fall, I thought I would start up this centralized update site so I can share my experiences and observations of life on the left coast.